A Simple Mistake
by Michael-Ramsey
Summary: [Under revision] While reading a book containing Starswirl the Bearded's time travel research, Twilight accidentally travels 20 years into the future. Equestria has been conquered by the changelings and her friends have gone their separate ways. Can she reunite the Elements, defeat the changelings, and return to the past? Or is all of Equestria doomed because of a simple mistake?
1. Chapter 1 - A Simple Mistake

I've edited this story far too many times, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless.

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Chapter 1: A Simple Mistake

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"I'm glad I finally have some time to myself" said Twilight, monologuing as she entered the Canterlot library. It had been quite a while since she had last entered its great doors, and with all of the celebrating and official business that came with becoming a princess, she was glad to finally have some time alone. Time that she intended to use for studying.

"Hello, your highness" said a voice quietly to her right as the doors closed behind her.

Lost in her monologue, she flinched, quickly turning to see the librarian, an older grayish pony, her eyes closed as she bowed behind her mahogany desk, a rather large book resting on top.

_It's a good thing her eyes were closed._ she thought, blushing at her own surprise. "Oh, hello."

"Is there anything I can help you with today?" asked the librarian as she stood back up.

"I'm just here to catch up on some reading" she answered, waving a hoof. "I should be fine."

The pony behind the desk smiled, nodding at her reply. "Just let me know if you need anything." The librarian returned to the book lying on her desk, turning the page.

The young princess walked around the building, taking in the familiar sight of the Canterlot library. Countless shelves containing tomes of knowledge surrounded her. The quiet of the library comforted her as she walked into the heart of the building.

"With everything that's happened I haven't had any time to study" she said, continuing her previous monologue as she levitated books off of the shelves to check their covers. "Just because I'm a princess doesn't mean I can slack off."

She suddenly stopped, ears down, her brow furrowed as she looked around.

"Now if I only knew what to read..."

On the other side of the building the librarian looked up from her book, noticing the princess's sudden pause. "Is everything alright, your highness?"

Twilight didn't answer for a moment, trying one last time to make a decision. After a few moments of frantic searching, she slumped in defeat, sighing. "I can't decide what to read" she finally replied. "There are just so many great books"

The librarian walked over to the princess and looked around, hoof under her chin. "Why not try the Starswirl the Bearded wing?" She suggested, gesturing to the hallway behind her. "We've recently recovered a tome containing some of his work with time travel."

At the mention of a new book, Twilight face immediately brightened. "A new book about time travel?" she asked, almost yelling with excitement as the stars shone in her eyes.

The librarian grinned at the young mare's excitement. "Why yes, it's quite fascinating how many different spells he created regarding the subject" she replied, adjusting her eyeglasses.

Twilight leapt with excitement. "That's perfect! Thank you!" she squealed, eagerly rushing off toward the Starswirl the Bearded wing and the promised book.

The librarian raised a hoof in alarm. "There's no running in the- oh, never mind…"

Twilight slid to a halt as she neared the door, quickly opening it and walking inside. She looked around briefly at the rows of shelves, the large hourglass in the center of the room watching over it all. She returned to her earlier mission, eagerly scanning the shelves for the new book, practically throwing books off the shelf, which formed a pile behind her as she checked and double-checked the covers, determined to find the tome.

"No...Not that one…that's not it…no…no...Oh, where is it?"

She groaned loudly, seemingly unable to find the book she so desperately wanted to read. She slammed her hooves into one of the shelves in frustration, causing a large book to fall from the top of the shelf and land on her head with a loud thump.

Twilight cried out in pain, rubbing her head as she angrily levitated the book that assaulted her. "Well that's just great. It's not bad enough I can't find the book I'm looking for…"

She stopped mid-sentence, looking at the cover. Her eyes lit up blissfully and she smiled from ear to ear.

"I found you!" she exclaimed as she held the book in her arms. She danced around a moment as she relished in her victory, a throbbing pain in her skull forcing her to stop.

"Well...you sort of found me" she added, rubbing her head. She walked over to a nearby desk, setting the book down and placing a hoof on the cover. "The important thing is you're here."

The princess eagerly opened the tome, scanning the contents of the ancient text. She unwittingly raised a hoof to her mouth as her eyes fluttered over the numerous notes, spells and equations the book contained. "Wow, there are so many things about time travel that I never knew." She began, taken aback by the sheer amount of knowledge in front of her. "This is all so complicated, I'm not sure if I can learn all of this."

She turned the page, a piece of paper falling to the floor as she watched, horrified.

"Ah!" she exclaimed, jumping in fear. "What is that? Did I rip a page?" she asked, flipping through the book to make sure she hadn't damaged anything. "For the love of Equestria, _please_ don't tell me I actually ripped a page out of Starswirl the Bearded's book. This is library property! What if that page was really important? What if it was..."

She shook her head, furrowing her brow in confusion. "What is it anyway?"

She picked up the page and slowly read the contents out loud. The words were cryptic, but organized in a way that was familiar to her for some reason.

"That's weird, It almost sounds like a-"

Before she could finish her sentence, a burst of white magic surrounded her, lifting the princes into the air.

"Spell" she finished, shrinking in fear. She began frantically waving her hooves, dropping the page as she tried to think of a way to avoid whatever the spell was meant to do.

"No, no, no! How do I counter this? How do I stop it?" She pounded her hooves into her head as the magic surrounding her grew brighter and brighter. Suddenly she was surrounded by a blinding light. She winced, covering her eyes with her hooves as the light grew ever brighter. The light quickly turned to darkness as she lost consciousness.

"Ugh...what happened?" she asked, slowly waking up from what she hoped was a dream. She looked around, quickly giving a double take as she noticed the dark forest surrounding her. "Oh no, oh nonononono" she said, pacing around as her mind raced. "This is _bad_...I _was_ in the library, then I read that page, and _now_ I'm in the forest."

She raised a hoof to forehead, her face squished painfully in thought as she tried to determine what happened.

"Let's see, the book was about time travel, so what if...? Ah! What if it sent me so far back in time that Canterlot hasn't been built yet?" She slumped to the ground, holding her hooves on her head, the idea seeming to be the most logical. "How am I supposed to get back to the future if the book doesn't even exist?"

She stood up, calmly raised a hoof, and practiced Cadence's breathing technique. "Okay Twilight, just breathe...this is no time to panic." Her calm demeanor quickly turned to one of almost insane worry. "Who am I _kidding_! This is the _perfect_ time to panic!" She frantically ran throughout the forest until she saw the entrance to Canterlot through the trees. Something about it looked...different, but she was glad it was actually there.

"Okay, so Canterlot _does_ exist, which means that all I have to do is find the library and figure out how to reverse the spell. I can handle this!"

She walked toward the entrance, slowing and finally stopping as she began to see it in more detail. The walls were rubble and there were no guards to be found.

"Oh...kay, new problem." she said nervously, her eye slightly twitching. "Equestria is in pieces and the ponies are all gone." She twitched again as she paced back and forth. "It's okay, this isn't _that_ much of a problem...yeah, I've handled stuff _way_ worse than this. I'll bet the real city is just out being cleaned, and they left this one so they would remember where to put it when they got back! Yeah...I mean, it's not like I'm the last pony in Equestria or anything ridiculous like that..."

She buried her face in hooves and took a deep breath. Exhaling, she calmed down enough to think of a plan.

"Alright Twilight, get it together..." she said, trying to retain her sanity. "Ponies or not, all you need to do is find that book and you can get out of here."

She slowly climbed over the rubble of the town gate, stopping as the castle came into view.

The once beautiful structure had suffered the same fate as the rest of Canterlot, its towers toppled and its walls ruined. As she continued to look over the hopeless sight in front of her, the situation only grew worse in her mind as she spotted a group of changelings flying overhead.

"Well...I guess on the bright side I'm not the only one left in Equestria anymore...if an army of changelings ruling over Canterlot counts as a bright side."

She walked through the quiet streets, looking around at the ruined buildings of Eqeustria's once glorious capital. Her steps echoed through the empty city as she made her way to the library. Her ears perked up as she heard a low rumble in the distance. She turned around and stared down the street, a small group of changelings coming into view.

"Oh great, something else to worry about…" She remarked sarcastically as she began running away. While the changelings pursued her down the street, she used her magic to throw various objects at them, knocking out most of the creatures and causing the others to retreat. She stopped running as they left, a smile forming on her face.

"Well, that wasn't so bad" She said, panting as she began to once again ponder her situation. Her train of thought was broken by a blood curdling cry behind her. She turned around again and stared down the street. This time, she saw an army of changelings running toward her.

"Of course I could be wrong" she said, filled with fear as she began flapping her wings. She looked down angrily at her wings, which were moving furiously to no avail. For all her effort, she couldn't seem to get off the ground, as if something were pushing her down.

"Well that's not going to work" she said as she hit the ground running, trying once again to escape the changelings. She turned down an alley, stopping as a large pile of rubble stood in her way. Looking it over, she quickly climbed to the top of the debris and knocked down nearby scaffolding, which fell on a number of changelings and slowed down the others.

"That's a start" she remarked, looking around as she thought of what to do next. The changelings below her began to fly to the top of the rubble, bringing Twilight back to reality. "Of course _they_ can fly..." she said angrily as she slid down the rubble, rounding the corner as she reached the end of the alley.

She ran down the broken street, looking over her shoulder to see the changelings quickly gaining on her. Panicked, she turned around just in time to dodge a collapsed market stall. _The marketplace!_ She smiled, an idea forming. She continued running, passing more and more stalls as she came closer the heart of Canterlot's bazaar. She stopped as she reached the centerpiece of the market, a large fountain with a statue of the royal sisters still standing on top. She turned around, facing the pursuing changelings as they ran down the narrow street leading to the market square. Magic flowed through her horn as she launched all manner of items at the approaching army. Doors, flowerpots, birdhouses, apples, oranges, even the stalls themselves were sent flying down the narrow street. The changelings began to reconsider blindly charging into the onslaught, diving behind anything they could as more and more of them were hit.

"Ha, it's working!" she said, the magic in her horn slowly fading. As she stood there, panting, but confident she had won, a deep buzzing filled her ears. She turned around, almost falling over as another army of changelings landed in front of her.

"Or not" She said weakly, shrinking in fear as she began to slowly back away. She heard an all too familiar hissing behind her as the changelings down the street began to come out of hiding. Twilight looked desperately for an escape, only to find that she was completely surrounded. With sweat pouring down her face, she decided that magic was her only way out.

"I hope Ponyville is better off than Canterlot" She said as she began her teleportation spell. Realizing Twilight's plan, the changelings sprinted towards her, closing the distance as she desperately tried to complete the spell. "Come on" she said, straining as the magenta aura around her slowly grew brighter. The changelings were climbing over each other as they neared the princess, a sea of black washing ever closer. "Come on, work!" she yelled as the changelings came within feet of her, lunging as they bared their fangs, hissing.

The magic pouring from her horn suddenly surrounded her and she disappeared in a flash of light, the changelings hitting each other as they landed where the princess was only moments ago.

Twilight reappeared in front of Ponyville's ruined town hall, nearly collapsing from exhaustion. She frowned as looked around, finding the same desolation in Ponyville that she had just left. She sighed, realizing her situation was far worse than she first thought. "Looks like Ponyville isn't doing much better after all" she said as she neared the large doors of the town hall.

"I just hope Spike and the girls are okay" she said quietly as she began to open the door. She turned around, looking at the ruins of her home as a group of changelings flying overhead caught her eye. She quickly ducked inside, closing the door and slamming her hoof on the floor of the once great hall. "The changelings are everywhere! Where is everypony?"

She groaned, unsure of what to do. She was tired, angry, and confused. "None of this makes any sense!" she cried, throwing her hooves up in frustration, failing to understand anything about her situation. "What did that spell do? Why are there changelings everywhere? Oh...if only I had that book."

She stopped, thinking of what she had just said. She stood up straight, determination on her face. "If books got me into this, I bet they can get me out" she said confidently as she opened the large doors once again. "I'm sure I can find something in the library that will tell me what's going on."

She left the ruined town hall, careful to avoid changeling patrols as she headed for home. When she reached the tree, she found it in no better shape than any other building she had seen. "Well, here goes nothing" she said as she quickly opened the door, causing dust to fly all around her. She coughed, trying to wave the dust away with her hoof. As it finally settled, she took in her surroundings, much to her displeasure. Her belongings were strewn across the floor, and the rooms were filled with cobwebs and years of dust.

"Why is there _always_ a mess to clean when I come home!" she cried, throwing her hooves up in despair. "Normally I would be yelling at Spike right now for not cleaning up his mess, but this time _I'm_ the one responsible." she sighed as she walked into the house "And he isn't even here to enjoy it."

Despite her earlier strain, she used her magic to tidy up the building as she looked around, checking every book for clues as she tried to think. "I don't get it" she began. "How did all of this happen? How could the changelings win? The Elements of Harmony-"

Countless items fell to the floor as she broke off her magic, realization on her face.

"The Elements of Harmony! If I'm here, then that means I wasn't there for when the changelings attacked. They couldn't use the Elements of Harmony because I wasn't there!" realization turned to guilt as she slumped to the ground.

"Then that means...all of this...is _my_ fault."

She stood back up, shaking her head as she tried to get back to the task at hand. "This might be my fault, but I can't just sit here, I have to fix this."

She searched throughout the house, the kitchen, the basement, the bathroom, the closets, but she couldn't find anything to help make sense of her situation. "I thought that I would find something here besides a mess to clean. I guess all that's left to do is check upstairs." She looked around one last time before finally ascending the staircase.

She reached the top of the stairs, cleaning up the room as she began the next part of her search. After double checking the bookshelves, she walked over to her desk, which was turned over. Sighing, she levitated it back into place and noticed an inscription in the wood. "What's that?" she said as she wiped off the dust, revealing a message.

_Twilight, we've gone to the ancient castle._

_-Spike._

"Finally, something I can work with!" she exclaimed, somewhat relieved. "I don't know what I'll find, but Everfree forest, here I come!" She finished cleaning upstairs and ran back down to gather what supplies she could. She opened the door and slowly looked outside, watching for any changelings that might be overhead. Confident the skies were clear, she left the library and walked off towards the forest, hoping to find anyone that wasn't a changeling, and some answers as to what's going on.

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As always, thanks for reading!

-M.R.


	2. Chapter 2 - The Everfree Forest

Chapter 2: The Everfree Forest

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Twilight approached the Everfree forest, pausing to look back at the ruins of Ponyville, tears in her eyes.

"I'll fix this" she said mournfully, turning back around. "I promise" she whispered as she took her first steps into the darkness. As she walked alone through the woods, a bush in the distance began moving. Fearing more changelings, she ducked behind a group of trees and waited. Eventually, a group of rabbits came hopping out of the bush. Twilight jumped out of her hiding spot and began walking again, blushing with embarrassment.

"Great, now I'm afraid of rabbits" she said, rolling her eyes. "I guess without Fluttershy here, all the animals ran into the forest"

She stopped for a moment, thinking of what she just said. "Fluttershy…I wonder how she's handling all of this. She's usually so emotional…I can only imagine what's happened to her."

She shook her head violently, trying to dispel the thought. "I'm sure she's fine. I mean, yeah, she can be emotional at times, but she's fast and she has a good head on her shoulders." She began walking again, nodding in agreement with herself. "And besides, she had all of her friends to help her."

She paused for a moment, painful realization on her face as tears again welled in her eyes.

"Well, _almost_ all of them" she said after a long pause, staring at the ground as she continued walking.

"What about the rest of the girls?" she asked herself, looking up in thought. "Rainbow Dash and Applejack wouldn't just run away, they would be the ones running toward the army of changelings" she said, visualizing a battle in her mind. "They're both strong and fast, but there are so many changelings…what if they were captured?" She began to panic, visualizing her friends' defeat. "Or worse…" she said, her eyes widening in horror.

She again shook her head, trying to think positively. "That wouldn't happen. They're brave, but not stupid. If they realized there were too many to fight they would run." She began to calm down, visualizing an organized retreat instead of her friends' capture. "But what if they didn't realize how many changelings were there? What if it was an ambush?" she said, holding her hooves on her head as panic once again settled in her mind.

"ARGH! I have to know what happened!" she screamed, birds flying away at her sudden outburst. As the sound of her yelling faded into the night, the howls of timberwolves echoed through the forest in reply.

"Oops" she said weakly, shrinking in fear. All at once, the sounds of branches breaking and trees moving seemed to surround her. Twilight was frozen in fear. She looked around frantically, trying to find the source of the noise. The howls grew louder as she felt her heart beating hard in her chest. She stood still in the middle of the darkness, the sounds growing even louder, seemingly coming from only inches away.

Suddenly, all at once, complete silence filled the air. The forest was so quiet the only thing she could hear was her own breathing. She looked around slowly, taking in every detail, her eyes scanning every inch of the surrounding foliage, desperately looking for the predators she knew had surrounded her.

Suddenly, she stopped, finding a pair of green eyes glowing in the darkness. She stared deeply into them, her fears confirmed. The silence was broken by the sound of a loud growl that rang in her ears and rumbled in her chest. The one growl was suddenly joined by several others, quickly growing louder. Looking around, she found the same green eyes peeking behind countless trees and bushes. Terrified, she braced for the attack she knew was coming.

The growls suddenly stopped, but the sound of the timberwolves' breathing lingered in the air. Twilight's eyes narrowed in sharp focus. She had a plan, and it was going to work...she hoped.

Finally, one of the timberwolves lunged at her from in front. She quickly slid under the sailing predator, running through the gap it left as it attacked. She sprinted as fast as she could, unconcerned about where she was going. Piercing howls filled the air behind her and the sound of heavy steps pounded throughout the forest. Panting, she looked around desperately as she ran, trying to think of a plan. Her fatigue became apparent as the growls of the timberwolves behind her grew louder, the predators coming ever closer to her. Their putrid breath invaded her nostrils as she put all of her energy into running, just barely dodging trees as she bounded through the woodland.

Her heart sank as a river came into view, the consequence of her unfocused running. She stopped for a moment, looking around frantically. "Too tired to swim across" she said between heavy breaths. She took off again as she ran down the length of the river, desperately looking for a bridge, a log, or anything that she could use to cross. With no escape in sight, she stopped as the last of her energy was drained. The timberwolves slowed to a walk as they neared the river, baring their fangs as they approached the exhausted princess. Desperate, Twilight tried to teleport to the other side of the river, but her magic fizzled out before she could even begin the spell.

Exhausted, but determined, she weakly assumed an attack position. As one of the timberwolves moved in closer, she began to stumble, losing consciousness. The predator lunged at her, mouth agape. She winced, bracing for the inevitable. As the large jaws came within inches of her, a rock hit the sailing timberwolf in the side, knocking it into another timberwolf and breaking them both into pieces.

Twilight looked toward the direction the rock came from and spotted four cloaked ponies running toward her assailants as she sank to the ground. When the last timberwolf was defeated, she finally succumbed to the darkness, collapsing on her side near the water's edge. After ensuring the timberwolves were gone, the four ponies circled around the unconscious princess, confusion on their faces. They looked at each other and nodded, picking up Twilight and disappearing into the forest.

Twilight weakly opened her eyes as she slowly regained consciousness. She looked around, stopping as she heard the faint sound of a conversation going on in front of her. Focusing in, she noticed that they were the same cloaked ponies who saved her earlier. She fought to hold onto consciousness as she listened in.

"Do you think she's a changeling?" asked one of the ponies, an orange mare.

"Not a chance" replied another, this time a white stallion. "It's almost impossible to remain transformed when you're unconscious, there's no way a changeling could do something like that."

"What if it's not just a changeling?" added a red stallion, throwing a hoof up for emphasis. "What if it's Queen Chrysalis herself?"

"There's no way" answered the fourth of the group, a blue mare. "Queen Chrysalis would never be this deep in the Everfree Forest without any changelings to guard her, and the only unusual thing we found out there was a pony being chased by timberwolves."

"I say we take her to Watchful, he can tell us if she's a changeling or not" said the orange mare, gesturing toward Twilight.

Twilight began to lose consciousness yet again, desperately trying to hear what the ponies were saying.

"No" replied the white stallion. "If this really is Twilight Sparkle, it's going to change everything...

...We're taking her to Luna."

As the stallion finished his sentence, Twilight again gave in to her fatigue and slipped into the darkness. The darkness faded into light as Twilight appeared back in Ponyville, enjoying a picnic with her friends. The sunlight shone warmly on her face as she took a bite of the cake in her hoof.

"This cake is amazing, Pinkie Pie" she said as she took another bite. Pinkie seemed to ignore her comment, having a conversation with Applejack.

"I really like the cake, Pinkie" said Fluttershy, almost whispering.

"Thanks Fluttershy!" replied Pinkie, eating an entire slice in one bite. "It's a new recipe!"

"Oh really?" asked Fluttershy, her ears perked with curiosity. "What's different in this one?"

"Wait, you heard Fluttershy, but not me?" asked Twilight, confused. Pinkie and Fluttershy continued with their conversation about the cake, both unaware of Twilight's presence. "I guess Pinkie is just being Pinkie, right Rarity?" she said, looking over at the white mare.

"It certainly is a beautiful day to be outside" said Rarity, waving her hoof for emphasis, completely oblivious to Twilight's comment.

"You said it!" agreed Rainbow, flying around in the cool breeze. "I love this weather!"

"It's too bad Twilight ain't here to enjoy it" said Applejack, a sad look on her face.

"Okay girls, I think the joke has gone on long enough" said Twilight, laughing nervously.

"She would love to be here!" said Pinkie. "I even packed a 'Welcome Back' party just in case!"

"What do you mean 'Welcome Back'? I'm right here!" she yelled, angrily stomping her hooves.

"I'm just worried about Spike" said Rarity, holding a hoof to her mouth. "He certainly has taken all of this very hard."

"Spike is fine!" yelled Twilight. "I just saw him yesterday…He was skipping home from the boutique with a goofy look on his face! How do you not remember?"

"Yeah" said Rainbow, landing next to the others. "He almost never leaves the library."

"That's because he's always sleeping!" she yelled.

"One thing's for sure, It'll never be the same without ya, Twi" said Applejack, looking up at the sky somberly. The other four all looked up with her, as if they expected the princess to fall from the sky.

"Twilight…" sighed the group in unison, looking down mournfully.

"I'm right here!" she screamed, stomping her hooves in anger, her face turning red with anger. "This isn't funny!"

She winced, shielding her eyes as a blinding light appeared in front of her. The light began to fade, revealing Canterlot in flames all around her. The sky was darkened with changelings, and ponies were running in terror all around her. The guards, caught off guard by the sheer number of changelings swarming the city, tried to reorganize as the blackness fell over the city.

Suddenly, she saw the interior of the castle, the royal guards preparing defenses as her friends readied for battle. The large golden doors suddenly burst open as changelings flooded into the room, letting out blood curdling cries as they washed over the hapless defenders in a sea of black. The fight was over before it even started, her friends far too outnumbered to even slow them down. As the last of her friends were washed away in the darkness, she saw Celestia and Luna, completely surrounded by the darkness as they tried to hold back the swarm. "Twilight, where are you?" they cried as they too were overwhelmed by the horde.

As the smoke settled over the ruins of Canterlot, Twilight suddenly appeared in the middle of a dark room, a single light shining down on her. As she looked around, all she could see were evil eyes staring back at her. Suddenly, the room brightened, revealing changelings all around her. They slowly opened their mouths, exposing their fangs as they hissed and cried, filling her with terror. As she stood there, frozen in fear, the darkness again enveloped her as the changelings swarmed over the princess.

Twilight snapped awake, panting as sweat fell from her face. She began to calm down as she realized it was all a dream. Looking around, she spotted the same four cloaked ponies standing in front of her.

"Are you alright princess?" asked the orange mare, extending a hoof to help her up.

Twilight grabbed the hoof as she righted herself, readjusting to her surroundings. "I'm fine" she answered, rubbing the back of her head. "Uhh...Thank you for saving me from those timberwolves earlier." The ponies all bowed, acknowledging her thanks.

"It was our pleasure" answered the white stallion.

"Where are we?" she asked, looking around.

"Home" he answered, walking into a nearby cave, the other ponies followed him as Twilight stood still, confused.

"Are you coming?" asked the blue mare, gesturing with her hoof to follow. Twilight followed the others as they continued walking into the cold underground below.

"Before we go any further, a warning" said the red stallion, turning to face her. "We believe you are Princess Twilight Sparkle, but the resistance isn't as welcoming to newcomers…regardless of appearance."

"Even if you look, think, and act like Princess Twilight Sparkle" began the orange mare, adding to the warning. "They still won't trust you…not at first…not after Cloudsdale."

"Rainbow…" whispered Twilight weakly.

"Be careful where you go, and who you talk to" said the white stallion. "At least until everyone knows who you are."

"Got it, thanks" she said, nodding her head.

"Alright then" said the blue mare. "Onward we go."

They continued through the depths of the cavern, navigating countless tunnels until they finally arrived at wall with a small jewel shaped opening in the center. Twilight watched as the white stallion pulled a necklace out of his cloak, an oddly colored jewel on the end. The more she stared at it, the more it seemed to change color, as if it knew she was looking at it.

The stallion placed the jewel in the cavity, and the sound of rock grinding against rock echoed through the cave as the wall split and began to open. The white stallion returned the necklace to its place within his cloak as the wall receded into the rock around them. Light slowly poured into the dark cavern as the large door continued to open. A warm air blew into the tunnel as a small settlement came into view.

What she saw gave her mixed feelings. She was glad that she had finally found civilization, but she was overwhelmed with guilt as she looked around. Makeshift buildings and ponies in tattered clothes were all that was left of the Equestria she loved so much. Countless lives ruined, all because of a simple mistake. She noticed the angry and untrusting looks the frightened ponies gave her as she walked through the cavern.

"I see what you guys were talking about" she said quietly to her escort.

"Don't worry about it too much" said the blue mare reassuringly. "Everything will change now that you're here."

The ponies approached a large building in the center of the settlement. The guards outside the building stopped the group, first looking at Twilight, and then at each other, confused. Looking back to Twilight, they opened the door and room grew quiet as they entered, and every eye was locked on Twilight. Slowly, the murmur of voices filled the room as they began talking again, having found a new subject to discuss. Twilight found familiar angry looks surrounding her as she walked across the room.

"Come on" said the white stallion, gesturing to the group with a hoof as the guards opened the large doors at the end of the room. "Princess Luna is this way." Twilight followed the ponies as they walked through the large doors, the guards bowing as she passed by. Even though it wasn't built with the same materials as anything in the castle, the chamber still felt as though it belonged in one.

"Princess Luna" he began, bowing. "We've found Princess Twilight Sparkle."

Luna looked over at the group, disbelief on her face as she stared at Twilight. She walked over to the princess, placing a hoof on her as she closed her eyes, magic flowing through her horn. She opened her eyes again, filled with tears. "Twilight Sparkle, it's you!" she cried, embracing her. "I can't believe it's you!" she said.

"It's been a _long_ day, Princess Luna" said Twilight.

"I know all about it" she said, raising a hoof.

"You do?" Twilight lightly shook her head, brow furrowed. "How could you-"

"The spell I just cast was a mind reading spell" answered Luna. "It allows me to know anything about anyone. All I need to do is place a hoof on them. It's become somewhat of a necessity now that the changelings have taken over Equestria, and don't worry, I only looked at what I needed to, your secrets are still yours."

"That's incredible, I didn't even know there was a mind reading spell" said Twilight, still amazed by what she just heard.

"There are many kinds of magic you have yet to learn, Twilight" said Luna, smiling at her comment. "But I'm afraid there's no time for any of that right now. Now that you're here, the Elements of Harmony can be used again. The only problem is that your friends aren't here."

"Not here?" asked Twilight, taking a step back from the princess. "What do you mean they're not here? Where are they? Are they okay? What happened?"

"After Canterlot fell and Celestia was captured, your friends united one last time to defend Ponyville. Despite their efforts, Ponyville was destroyed, and they each went their separate ways, blaming the other for their failures. Rarity left for the Crystal Empire, Rainbow Dash flew to Cloudsdale, and Applejack ran to Appleloosa. Unfortunately, I don't know where Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy or Spike went, and Appleloosa and Cloudsdale have been destroyed since Applejack and Rainbow Dash left, so I can't guarantee they will still be there.

"What about the Crystal Empire?" asked Twilight, hoping for anything to work with.

"The Crystal Heart has managed to defend it from the changelings so far, but they have surrounded the city, and none of our refugees can get in." answered Luna.

"If no one can get into the city, how am I supposed to get in _and_ leave with Rarity?" asked Twilight.

"I believe these scouts can help you with that" said Luna, looking to the four ponies standing beside her.

"Of course" said the white stallion. "We'll give you all the information you need."

"The Crystal Empire is too far away to walk or fly, how am I supposed to get there?" asked Twilight, her face warped with confusion. "Are the trains still working?"

"Although the shield around the Crystal Empire prevents me from using my magic to teleport you inside, I can still bring you near it. From there, you'll have to get in using the information the scouts will give you. As for getting back, I'm sure Princess Cadence and Shining Armor will be able to help you."

"Well it's not much, but it's a start" said Twilight, giving a brief nod of her head. "It looks like I'm going to the Crystal Empire."

* * *

Hopefully this is the last time that I have to edit this chapter...I'm all for improving my work, but this is getting ridiculous...

Anyway, thanks for reading!

-M.R.


	3. Chapter 3 - A Rough Night

Well, I bought Skyrim during the Steam Summer Sale, and that dragged me away from writing for a while. I enjoyed the game, but I feel as though I'm somewhat disconnected from this story now. I'm hoping the feeling will pass, and that this chapter will have the same lure as the previous ones.

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Chapter 3: A Rough Night

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The shade of night continued to darken Equestria, the moon shining delicately upon the world below. Sunrise was only a few hours away, but for the ponies beneath the darkness it felt like ages. In the past, they could sleep peacefully, relishing in the protection of their princesses. But in recent years, that luxury was stolen from them, and it was not a welcome change. The night they once loved now filled them with the terror of uncertainty. Would this be the night the changelings raided their compound? Would they be dragged out of their homes and taken to Canterlot, never to be seen or heard from again? It was a question they asked themselves every night, and it was a question without an answer.

Most ponies refused to sleep, afraid of what might happen if they allowed themselves even a moment of rest. For the ponies who did choose to sleep, the experience was anything but restful. Their dreams were plagued by the evil that now ruled over Equestria, ages having passed since their last night of peaceful slumber. Many had come to expect the nightmares; they were simply another reason to avoid sleep. But one could not avoid sleep forever, and eventually their bodies demanded they suffer through the horrid visions to gather what little energy they could. Over many years they came to reluctantly accept this as just another part of their lives. One pony in particular was new to this horror however, a recent arrival in this twisted version of her home.

Twilight tossed and turned in her sleep, her eyes clenched painfully, sweat pouring off her body as her mind was warped by the haunting visions she was forced to witness. She had suffered a dream like this before, after her encounter with a pack of timberwolves. Everything she cared about was destroyed before her eyes, and she could do nothing to stop it. The nightmare finally ended when she too was taken by the evil that had claimed everything else.

She spurred awake, panting heavily as tears streamed down her face, mixing with the sweat that covered her body. She sat there, her sheets wet with perspiration as she tried to calm down. Eventually, she regained control of her breathing, and after several long moments of silence, reluctantly returned to her pillow, hoping for a peaceful dream that would not be coming.

In a bedroom chamber elsewhere in the building, Princess Luna slowly opened her eyes, despair on her face. "It's happening too quickly" she said, looking to the ceiling as tears formed in her eyes. "I have to delay it, or there's no hope for any of us."

Twilight looked around the room, gathering what materials she could in preparation for her adventure. She had decided to give up on sleeping, having suffered through two more nightmares. She didn't know what time it was, looking at the sky was somewhat difficult with a large wall of rock in the way, but she made an effort to quiet her motions in case anyone was still sleeping. She literally jumped in surprise as a knocking came from the door. She quickly gathered herself, preparing to face whoever she had woken up.

"Come in" she said, trying her best to form a smile despite how bad she felt. The door opened to reveal Princess Luna, who instantly saw the heavy fatigue in Twilight's eyes. "Oh, hi Princess Luna" said Twilight, trying even harder to force a smile. "I'm just trying to get some things put together for the trip. I've triple checked my list and all that's left is for the scouts to tell me how I'm supposed to get inside. I have no idea what time it is, but I'm sorry if I woke you."

Luna grinned slightly at her concern. "Don't worry, you didn't wake me up, and I'm sure the scouts will be here any moment with the information that you need." Luna closed the door, turning back to face Twilight. "In the meantime, there's something very important I need to discuss with you."

"Really?" asked Twilight, somewhat stumbling from exhaustion. "Is there something wrong? I mean, other than what's already wrong?"

"I'm afraid there is Twilight" said Luna, placing a hoof on her shoulder. "I've seen your dreams, and I know what's happening. I just want to say that I'm sorry."

Twilight's face warped with confusion. "You're sorry? What for? I mean, all of this, it's my fault. I've ruined countless lives, and I've destroyed almost all of Equestria. What do you have to be sorry for?"

Luna sighed deeply. There was a long silence before she finally spoke. "Twilight, you have to stop blaming yourself. What happened was a simple mistake, a mistake that you plan to correct. But more importantly, it was a mistake that you can correct. My sister and I have done many things that we wish we could take back, but unlike you we didn't have that option."

"Luna…" began Twilight.

"But I'll save those stories for another time. I'm simply apologizing because I wouldn't wish your situation on anyone. I can tell you from experience that time can be your greatest enemy, if given the opportunity. But I can also tell you that focusing on your past failures will only stand in the way of your future triumphs. There is…something else that I need to apologize for."

"What do you mean?" asked Twilight.

"These dreams…these nightmares, are fueled by your emotions" began Luna. "Guilt, anger, depression, they are all contribute to your visions. Unfortunately, they are only fueling the visions, they are not directly responsible."

"Then what is?" she asked, furrowing her brow.

"Not what" answered Luna, "But whom. Queen Chrysalis has become very powerful over the years, virtually unchallenged as she fed off the love in Equestria. This power cannot be contained, and it is released in the form of the nightmares that everyone is experiencing."

"I still don't understand how that's your fault" said Twilight.

"The nightmares, in addition to causing fear, have another effect. They weaken the spirit of the ponies they haunt, draining their will to fight. I have tried to protect Equestria from their influence, but the power of the changeling queen continues to grow, and I fear the nightmares are beginning to affect even myself. I am unable to protect the very ponies that look to me for strength, and the only thing I can do is apologize."

Twilight stared silently at the floor. Whatever she was going to say suddenly seemed a lot less important.

Luna placed a hoof under Twilight's chin, raising her head to look her in the eyes. "That's why I came to you. Your dreams have already begun to take their toll on your spirit, whether you know it or not. Your negative emotions are making the dreams more powerful, and you need to fight them."

"I won't give up that easily" said Twilight, somewhat offended by her comment.

"The changes won't come quickly, but they will be devastating. I don't know how long it will take you to reunite your friends, but if the dreams manage to break your spirit, none of it will matter."

"I'm not sure I understand" said Twilight.

"Your friends have already lost who they are; their failure to defend Ponyville destroyed their friendship and the power that it held. You must remind them of who they are, but you can't forget yourself in the process. The Elements of Harmony are brought together by a spark."

"But if that spark fails…" began Twilight, her eyes wide as realization dawned on her.

"Then the elements will fail with it" finished Luna. "If you lose your will to fight, your sense of what's important, there will be nothing left to stop the changelings. You have to realize that your friends have suffered through many things, and if you can't rise to the challenge, neither will they."

"What do you think I should do?" asked Twilight. The worry in her voice would normally raise a chuckle from Luna; Twilight often had a way of overreacting. In this situation however, it was important for Twilight to remain calm.

"Right now, you should try to get some rest" answered Luna. "The sun isn't up yet and you need to gather your strength."

"But you said that the scouts would be here any moment" said Twilight, confused.

"I also said that you didn't wake me up" said Luna with a smile.

Twilight shrank back, blushing with embarrassment. "I'm so sorry Luna, I thought I was being quiet enough, but I-"

Luna raised a hoof to silence her. "Don't worry; it was your nightmares that woke me up. When I saw that you were suffering I knew I had to do something."

Twilight rubbed her head in confusion. "But you said you couldn't do anything. I mean, isn't that what you just apologized for?"

Luna chuckled slightly. "That's true…There will come a time when I can no longer protect you from the nightmares, but for the moment I still can. So long as you keep your emotions in check, I should have no problem guarding your dreams. We'll be cutting it a little close, but it should buy us all the time we need."

Twilight slumped in defeat, burying her face in her hooves. "How am I supposed to keep my emotions in check with everything that's going on? I mean, I still feel terrible about all of this, and knowing that my own guilt can ruin everything else only makes me feel worse."

Luna embraced the young princess, knowing that this would be no easy task for her. She eventually broke the embrace, standing back up as Twilight weakly looked into her eyes. The uncertainty in her tear-filled gaze shook Luna to the core. Twilight's spirit was already breaking, and she had to do something now.

A reassuring smile crossed her face. "I know how difficult this must be for you" she said, her hooves returning to Twilight's shoulders. "Experience has taught me that a pony's emotions can easily be their own undoing….Although the Elements of Harmony freed me from Nightmare Moon's control, Nightmare Moon is still a part of who I am. That evil calls to me from the back of my mind, and it's a never ending battle to keep that part of myself under control. There are many times when I feel as though it's impossible, but I have to struggle on. We all have an evil to face, a part of ourselves that we try to conceal or control. Your negative emotions may not be evil, but they are something you need to fight."

"And I was just saying how I wasn't going to give up easily…" said Twilight sheepishly.

"You may be a princess now, but even princesses are allowed a failure or two" said Luna with a chuckle. "None of us are perfect; perfection is a high standard for anyone to live up to. Sometimes we mess up, and we have to accept it like anyone else. What matters is how we handle those failures when they happen."

A sudden determination crossed Twilight's face as she stood to meet Luna's gaze. "You're right. This is my mistake, and as long as I can make it right, I'm going to do everything I can to fix it. I owe that to myself and everyone else affected by this spell."

Luna nodded with satisfaction. "Now there's the spark I was searching for. When all of this is over, you'll have quite the story to tell my past self. But for now, you really should get some sleep."

Luna left the room, slowly closing the door as Twilight returned to her bed. A feeling of peace washed over the young princess as she gladly met her pillow, the nightmares lifted from her mind. Luna eventually reached her room, pausing as she opened the door. "It certainly is a never ending battle" she said, smiling weakly as she entered the room. She climbed into bed, pulling the sheets over herself as her head touched the pillow. She stared at the ceiling for several moments before letting out a long sigh. Tears again welled in her eyes. "But I fear I may be losing." After several more moments, she closed her eyes, a familiar voice calling to her as she dreamt.

* * *

This chapter is shorter than the others, I wrote it as more of a way to get back into writing after my little break. However, I do think that this chapter will add a little depth to the world, and it makes for a nice transition in my mind.

Anyway, if you have any comments, suggestions, concerns, etc. Feel free to let me know.

Thanks for reading!

-M.R.


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